Every high school student athlete hopes their team is “still alive” in the postseason, to keep playing after the regular season is over for higher honors.
For Wethersfield High School and its partners in the Annawan-Wethersfield co-op, it was a clean sweep of all four falls sports this year with the A-W Titans football team making the playoffs, the Wethersfield girl’s volleyball team reaching the sectional, the A-W boy’s cross country team qualifying for state for the first time in program history, and A-W golfer Laylah Kraft landing in the sectional.
The Wethersfield Board of Education congratulated the boy’s cross country team and girl’s volleyball team on their achievements at its November meeting Thursday.
Wethersfield Athletic Director Tom McGunnigal introduced the 2024 boy’s cross country team which made history by winning the regional for the first time in the program’s 17-year history, then placing third in the sectional to qualify for state, another first. Nicknamed “The Fast 5,” are team members Karson Shrum, Noah Feltner, Cash Verstraete, Daylon Hendrix, and Logan Davis. The team placed 21st among 30 teams at state. “All season long they were constantly progressing,” said McGunnigal.
The girl’s volleyball team won their regional for the second year in a row to advance to the sectional and bowed out with a 31-7 record. “Coach (Tonya) Vincent said you’d have a hard time finding teams anywhere with 30 wins,” McGunnigal told the board.
Rounding out the quartet of post season participants were the A-W Titans football team with a 6-3 record which made the Class 1A playoffs, which they have done each year since the co-op took the field in 2008, and Annawan senior Laylah Kraft, a member of the A-W girl’s golf team who qualified for the sectional this year.
The A-W JV football team also had an undefeated season.
Also discussed at the meeting:
-During the business meeting the board approved the 2024 tax levy which held both good news and bad news, according to Supt. Dr. Andrew Brooks. While the district’s overall tax rate will go down, from 4.5281 to 4.4604, the Equalized Assessed Valuation of property went up 6.65% to $77,285,257. Dr. Brooks pointed out that the school district is only one portion of the total property tax bill and said he suspects that the increases in the values of homes and farmland may have led to the much higher EAV.
-Instructional coach Dawn Newman made her annual report to the board telling how she is building relationships with staff and collaboration through department and grade level meetings, and in other ways, for the betterment of the students. She will host a networking session for area instructional coaches on Dec. 12 “to share challenges and celebrations and collaborate to make our programs stronger.”
-Junior/Senior High School Principal Tyler Nichols announced that a record number of juniors and seniors — 18 — were inducted into the Wethersfield Chapter of the National Honor Society Wednesday night.
He said records have been found dating back to 1933 listing the names of students who were inducted each year and there have never been as many as this year.
According to Star Courier newspaper archives, the WHS chapter was founded in 1932. Students are selected based on scholarship, service, leadership and character, according to the National Association of Secondary School Principal’s, which sponsors the NHS. Nichols pointed out that this is the last year for Cathy Dana, who has served as chapter sponsor for many years, is retiring from teaching this year and will no longer be the sponsor.
-Finally, the board approved Sunday, May 25 at 2 p.m. as the date and time for graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2025. Dr. Brooks pointed out that school calendars worked out so that Kewanee High School’s graduation will be the week before Wethersfield’s next spring.
